Living Again
by Happy Korokoro
Summary: For Uchiha Itachi, he thought that death is the end...but not. If you're reborn as a scorned princess, scorned just for not being able to do martial arts, helpless and powerless since the death of her mother with just one maid by her side, he can only sigh. For now, survival is a priority, and trying to live again while gradually adapting to a new world. Fun. Feng Ni Tian Xia
1. Chapter 1

A:N- Naming Translations for this chapter only for Feng ni Tian Xia verse using Reading of Kanji

Shou Entei = Xiao Yuancheng

Kou Hokuzuki = Huang Beiyue

Touryou = Dongling

Setsu = Xue

* * *

Death and Rebirth

Reconciliation happened at death and he died satisfied...

So why was he reborn as a young, chronically ill princess who was a known timid coward, ignorant, fool and perpetually ill?

Poor girl was a laughingstock, disdained by all except one maid that actually cares for her, and one Concubine Setsu. The father, Prince Consort Shou Entei coldly ignores her because she wasn't useful in a household like this.

And in a world like this as he can clearly see, status and reputation matters above all. Family? What family? It's use and be used with carefully-dosed conditional love. At least despite everything, Kou Hokuzuki was genuinely loved by her mother and did her best to make her life good somehow, until she died of illness.

But actually, this girl was no fool.

She has had some education. Education that stopped when Princess Royal died so she was way behind.

She was literate, knows mathematics, manners and etiquette befitting a royal as well as privileges that brings, known medicine, and things she needs to know to survive.

However, the fact remains that she is weak-bodied and powerless that she can't even use those lessons.

Her maid Touryou genuinely cares for her too and does her best.

However, he suspected something.

Medicine.

Itachi rushed home to check on the so-called medicine Setsu brings him. Using a jutsu to be double-sure...it was just crappy grass juice with trace poison. And drinking it every day will cause physical weakness until time came that the victim will be limp and bedridden for life, if not dead!

For one like him who got ANBU Training's Poison Education and Training, it was easy for him to detect it.

First things first...

Steal.

This world's source of energy is by cultivation. By gathering ki into their Tanten until they can't anymore, but to breakthrough a level in order to gather more, one must consume precious herbs and refine pills in order to break limits to get to the next level. The highest one can go, is nine layers. But if one is a Summoner, they can go higher. As in, one must go through three levels before they breakthrough one layer as their Tanten adapts to being a Summoner instead of a typical cultivator.

Problem?

This body, when he tried, cannot cultivate!

Each time he tried, it sinks, and disappears.

He tried chakra...

It works, but somehow, some was taken by whatever's causing ki to disappear. He has to mould it better and bingo. Nothing's taken anymore.

Frowning, he performed self-hypnosis to go to where his power was going...and found a crap ton of copper pillars with symbols that absorbs ki and part of his chakra.

'...this explains it.' he deadpanned as he was able to change his mental form into his true self.

**...that's intriguing...you're not my host.** a pair of blood-red eyes spoke to him.

'Kou Hokuzuki or in your language, Huang Beiyue died from her so-called illness when all this time, she was poisoned by her own family until she finally died tonight...and I transmigrated into this sad girl's body.' said Itachi. 'I am Uchiha Itachi. May I know your name and how you got here?'

**Beats me. I was battling the man known as King of the Night due to how powerful he was and a user of dark ki. Next thing I know I'm in this body, imprisoned.** said the demon. **I am Yan.**

'I see...so Princess Royal doesn't know about you either?' Itachi inquired.

**She doesn't, otherwise she'd know by now why her child cannot cultivate.** Yan snorted. **What ki she tries to get, goes to power this prison of mine. Its not my fault nor hers, that she cannot cultivate.**

'That's bad in a world like this.' Itachi deadpanned. 'I suppose I'll have to use my own means of compensation, after I get this body fully-healed. What a treacherous world this world is...where I am from, Family means that your parents loves you and your siblings and will protect and nurture their children into doing good as they grow up to become good people. Here, so-called love comes in the form of conditional love. The more useful you are, the more...love...you get from your parents.' he sighed. 'And Hokuzuki who sadly cannot cultivate nor well-educated is useless and you can see the treatment she gets.' he said, feeling sad and sorry for the poor girl who died.

**That's how it works here, Itachi.** Yan pointed out. **Power and what it represents robbed humans of their humanity when this world plunged into the warring state for over a hundred years. That power became everything here now. Survive, if you can. I got lucky with you that I survived when Beiyue died as I just found out.** said Yan. **At least if you're dying, have the courtesy to free me before you die. That's all I ask. Honor that deal, and I will assist you if only through information.**

'Very well.' and Itachi left the sealing domain back to waking up. He became a Jinchuuriki now when he once was made to hunt them. Ironic.

In this world, there are Primal Beasts, typical animals that if they survived enough to cultivate, evolve into Spirit Beasts and transforming into a form that reflected them and their power. And the final step, the cream of the crop...Divine Beasts.

Yan was clearly Divine Beast Class. His powers are mostly Yin chakra-based. Humm...

For now, healing comes first as well as sustenance.

And now, he checked this residence, the Flowing Cloud Pavilion.

It's a rundown, decrepit residence. A courtyard style within a vast estate.

The biggest place was her living room and bedroom. The other two small buildings were Servants' Quarters, and the Kitchen, pantry, and a shed in the other building.

Problem?

Touryou can't cook. It's why they were forced to rely on the mean-spirited servants for food. Itachi can once remember that the princess was served just a bowl of rice...with a live mouse in it! When she gasped, she got slapped by a manservant for 'being such a whiner' when ANYONE has the right to complain about it!

Power matters indeed, if a mere servant can slap a princess. Why in his old world, doing that will get you beheaded. Here, if you can't do martial arts, your social status won't matter anymore it seems as even the servants can do martial arts, despite being unable to cultivate thus sees themselves above even her in status. Princess Royal was the only thing protecting this child. Yet she died of illness.

Wait...

What if, she too, was poisoned and made it look like she fell ill?

Prime suspect, Setsu.

Opps, he should use this world's language or a slip up will reveal. But he can afford to be honest to at least Tou-errr Dongling, can he?

He traveled to his former home.

Princess Royal said that there are kept gears in the mansion only Beiyue can access so if the time came, she should come and get what she needs. She was shown passages and how it's done in the past.

Perfect.

The shameless asshole of a father, Yuancheng sold off everything and left nothing for his own daughter. Luckily he never knew about the secret stashes. Asshole.

Perhaps he should go tit for tat.

He accessed the hidden caches in the walls and found many books, and pills his body desperately needed, as well as potions. He took one of everything for poison and recovery. And his mother also has some vanity pills...good, because right now, his body looks like a living corpse with sunken eyes! There's also cultivation pills clearly meant not for her but for Dongling because she could NOT cultivate.

He sighed.

Upon sealing the caches back, he began his theft.

Using a Space Ring, he robbed the markets of essentials needed in their home. Cleaning, Cooking, Laundry and Bath.

They will no longer rely on the Main House anymore.

Final step?

Assassinate his own father by using the very poison Xue uses on Beiyue.

Nice of her to supply him with a weapon, as he went to Glistening Lake Pavilion to steal Xue's poison pills. He stole one, mixed it with a small amount of water for high concentration levels, and then poured it onto perfume bottles of Yuancheng and his favorite child Yun in order to attack Xue and shook the bottles real good to mix it evenly before leaving. To be double-sure, he put poison in ALL perfume bottles they owned! He also took another pill, in order to lace up cups for soup and tea always used by her father and Xue. He would do that every night from now on.

Then the rest is up to them. Hehehe...

Then he checked the family's schedule for the day.

He found that the Duke of Anguo, aptly called Anguo-gong in this world, will come with his son to repudiate her as his fiancee and choose one of Yuancheng's daughters instead. So today the halls of her home will be cleaned and decorated!

Come to think of it, she saw luxury incense sticks and cones there...high quality at that, so she would lace the whole stock and the condiments and sauces she could poison.

For now, while he had no idea where Dongling went, he should cook breakfast after consuming Grade 9 Detoxification Pills. One for cleaning his organs of poison. One for cleaning his blood, and the third, his bones and muscles. He melted them all in water in an amount enough for a mouthful, waiting five minutes before taking the next.

He has one hour to finish EVERYTHING before he falls really ill before the side effects take place!

He had 15 minutes to spare. Phew.

He returned to the residence to find Dongling collapsed in her front door. With whipping welts, beaten and very cold!

'Dongling, where have you been?!' Itachi asked Dongling worriedly because of her state as he picked her up. Dongling was weak and clearly came back by sheer willpower alone.

'Miss, you are fine, that's great, this servant was afraid that something might have happened to you, so I went to Concubine Qin, but then...'

Easy to guess.

If you work for the most despised person in this household, the servant serving said person would be mistreated too!

'Here, take this.' Itachi took out a space ring and medicine to raise Dongling's body temperature and another to heal her wounds.

'Miss? Where did you get those...?' Dongling croaked out in disbelief as she recovered.

'In a moment of clarity, I remembered mother's lessons about the hidden stashes in her old mansion...my illness that made my memory foggy...I took all medicine and when certain medicines worked, I had no idea I was poisoned all my life.' Itachi told Dongling to her horror. 'It's Xue's so-called medicines.'

'That...that bitch?!' Dongling howled in horror, wide-eyed. 'Do you have any other suspects, miss?!' she choked out.

'Just Xue. The others don't have access to poisons.' said Itachi. 'As much as she wants to Qin cannot poison me as she is a known noblewoman. In a treacherous harem household, she would be prime suspect. If she tried this, it will be a punishment up to the third generation for sure. Xue and Fang are former maids with no ability nor access to poisons. That was Xue's sole security. Fang has no inclinations to do evil she wouldn't dare on the other hand.'

'But what do we do? She makes sure you drink it before she leaves.' Dongling frowned.

'I'll have my own way around that.' said Itachi. 'For now, let's have breakfast. The side effects of the pills I took will take effect soon I can't risk carrying trays of food over. Go get them in our kitchen. This pavilion's kitchen.'

"Trays? The kitchen here?" Dongling blinked, before going out to the ever-so-unused kitchen as they couldn't cook. But to her surprise...! There's a breakfast set on two trays!

Two trays containing a rice bowl, soup, yellow-something, and three small plates containing vegetables, meat and fruit! And in good porcelain diningware!

She carried the first tray to her lady's room. Baffled with how she got it. Then went to get her other tray to see Itachi rushing in her eating.

She'll ask later where she got it from but they look good!

The last tasty meal they have, was four years ago.

This was surely a dream, Dongling thought but the delicious food was too yummy to be a dream!

Soon, her miss fell ill and collapsed!

'Miss!'

'Ahaha, don't mind...it's just the pills taking effect.' Itachi wheezed out weakly. 'Don't touch me...soon, poison will come out of my body. Touching me as I am now _will_ get you hurt.' he gasped out, gently swatting Dongling's hand away in her bid to reach her master. His words made her gulp nervously as she doesn't wanna get poisoned! 'I'll wait this out outside behind this building. Once I'm done, burn the poisoned clothes.' Dongling nodded quickly. 'Oh, and boil water for a bath, but you will pour the water on me from a safe distance behind this house. Nobody will see us anyway, I'll take a bath in the open just once.'

'If you say so...' Dongling croaked out as Itachi struggled to get outside.

'In the meantime, take this ring before my hands are tainted with poison.' Itachi gave her the Space Ring. 'There's food supplies in the ring. Rice, Vegetables, herbs, condiments, meat, seafood and fruit are in there and four small fire crystals and one large one. I can't touch the ring for a few hours so I'll leave it to you for now. Boil lots of water, say, three barrels to be sure.'

'Y-yes miss!'

Dongling fretted anxiously before starting to boil up water for a bath. It's harder due to the difficulties of starting a fire, but thanks to the fire crystal, it's easy as pie!

Took almost two hours to get everything done.

She put the barrels to where her miss was and she's covered in sludge! She's also currently naked now. 'Kyaa!'

'It's poison.' Itachi deadpanned. 'It's almost done, say in 15 minutes.'

xxx

After a long bath that cold spring morning, Dongling burned her tainted dress and shoes. Itachi then took back the ring to take out numerous pills, and ordered Dongling to take out small bowls, a wiping cloth, a stirring stick and water for him to use in melting several pills in. And she drank everything every five minutes.

'Princess Royal came prepared...had she known that in the future after her death, treachery will come get you?' Dongling croaked out anxiously.

'Probably. In a harem residence, there will be treachery all around.' said Itachi. 'Mother has access to some good friend willing to supply her Grade 9 pills of medicine and we have 50 of every type, all Grade 9.' he chuckled. 'In just one day I'll be well as long as I keep drinking until noontime.'

'Heee...'

Healthy body aside, she will remain skinny due to malnourishment. But at least she won't look like a living corpse anymore. Even when thin, it's clear that she was beautiful.

Itachi has never seen such beauty, until his new bodysuit and her mother.

From his ring, he took out paper and pen, writing a cookbook for Dongling to follow...starting with how to make Rice, Soup, and dishes from easy to difficult. He even wrote down difficulty level and how long it takes to get done if done by a normal person. He gave the papers to Dongling.

'I-I didn't know you can cook...'

'Mother taught me things I need to know to survive since I can't do martial arts.' said Itachi. 'But back then I can't even use what I learned due to weakness and constant bullying visitations I can't reveal I can cook.' he said wryly. 'If only I remembered sooner, but Xue's poisons are formidable.'

'That woman...after Princess Royal took her in, she bit the hand that feeds!' Dongling fumed. 'A snake!'

'Well, keep bringing me water and always wash these bowls before I make medicine again.' Itachi smiled.

He spent the whole day medicating himself. And when Dongling cooks lunch, he washes and makes, all the while starting on her body training. This body lacked physical energy while its easy to gather ki in the air as an impromptu mixer to mould chakra. He moulds and saves up what he could, for tonight's use.

Fun fact: as Yan's pillars only consume ki, it cannot consume the ki that is already moulded into chakra. This was his only way to ahem, cultivate now.

Tonight will be a social fight.

His own family along with her so-called in-law and fiancee will humiliate her.

He sighed.

He has to out-beauty his sisters tonight.

"Yan? We need to talk..."


	2. The Reversal

The Reversal

By what he errr she guessed was three o'clock, she had Dongling boil water for her bath again and take out her best casual dress for ironing. Dongling was happy that she no longer needed to worry about firewood soot staining her dress each time she irons now that there's a fire crystal for use!

'Miss, why take out your best dress? What's going on?' Dongling wondered as she helped Itachi take a bath by shampooing her long hair.

'When sneaking some things out, I overheard laughing servants making a mockery out of me that a fiancee I didn't know I had will repudiate me after shaming me first.' said Itachi coolly to Dongling's indignance. 'Good thing I got my beauty back thanks to mother's preparations. I want nothing to do with such a shallow man either so I'm fine with dumping him. I never knew he existed anyway.' she said uncaringly.

'Heee...but how are you gonna do it tonight?'

'You'll see. After this, take a bath too Dongling. You better be the better smelling maid tonight.'

She kept drinking prepared medicine in bowls to keep improving her body to fully recover from poison and improve her looks, while giving herself a cleaning manicure as he was used to, considering part of Akatsuki Uniform were purple-painted nails. Soon, she'll run out of his supplies of medicine and vanity pills save for her detoxification pills.

For now, she's confident that maids lit up the newly-purchased high-quality incense in the mansion.

Filling the mansion with poisonous air as she wanted, wanting the room to be fragrant.

Good.

That means everyone in that hall, will have a dose of poison.

She had caught the maids on duty and cast genjutsu on them while Dongling was busy with her chores. They're in charge of the incense burning, so poison some more!

After a bath, she dressed into her normal dress first. After all, the plan was to 'spring' this on her without warning by those bastards.

That's assuming that they haven't fallen ill yet!

She knows their itinerary.

They're there since 5:00, getting to know his eldest sister Ling and second older Yun.

By then party will be ruined due to symptoms...and they won't even have time. Heh. Yan made all the poisons he applied stronger than it should.

xxx

Princess Royal's Mansion...

"I feel weird..."

"I think I'm tired for sitting/standing an hour..."

They were starting to feel the symptoms of weakness and lethargy.

'I think we should eat first, hunger is getting to me, Yuancheng.' said Xue Yang, the Gong of Anguo Prefecture, mistaking his weakness for hunger. 'Getting to know Ling and Yun more can wait a bit.'

'I agree, it's about time for dinner.'

They decided to have dinner first and talking some more, unaware that the diningware was laced with poison.

The first to show symptoms was Ling and the servants present in the hall exposed to the poisoned incense. But she kept herself strong, wanting to look good to score the handsome Xue Che but gradually, she can't resist anymore and collapsed sideways, startling the whole table.

'Ling'er?!' Yuancheng cried in alarm as Ling collapsed so he got up to pick up Ling who was unresponsive. Suddenly a manservant burst in.

'Master! Some of our maids collapsed in the hallway!' he burst out.

'What?!'

That wasn't the end of it as another maid came in.

'Master, some of our maids collapsed in the kitchens!'

'Just what's going on here?!' Concubine Qin cried irritably, nursing a headache. 'I don't feel so good...' she and Xue also collapsed as well, getting the people worried.

'Father!' Yun cried worriedly, getting scared now as she picked up her mother. 'Something's wrong!'

'Yuancheng what's going on with your family?' Anguo Gong cried in alarm. Yuancheng placed a hand on both his concubines.

'I don't know!' Yuancheng sputtered, 'Ling and my wives feel cold!' he cried as a maid ran off.

'I think we should hurry this up, I don't feel good either.' said Xue Che, looking a little peaky.

'Get Beiyue now.' Yuancheng ordered. 'We'll just have her sign the papers and our kids can meet another time.' he suggested to Anguo Gong.

'Agreed...I'm starting to feel strange as well.' said Anguo Gong as Yun was the next to fall ill.

'Father, my body feels really weak...' Yun croaked out, slumping against the table.

'Mine too.' said Xue Che, slumping as well. 'Why are we feeling this way?' he griped out. 'We were alright earlier!'

Instead of a night of fun on Huang Beiyue's existence, an epidemic broke out in Xiao Estate, causing a panic and a night of fear instead!

xxx

Flowing Cloud Pavilion...

'Oi! You're being called to the Dining Hall!' a servant barked rudely.

'You're being rude!' Dongling snapped angrily. 'What do you want?!'

'Shut it, bitch!' the servant sneered at her before looking down on Itachi. 'Like I said the waste is being called to the Dining Hall in the Residence, so move it!' the servant grunted and left.

'They're getting way too full of themselves!' Dongling growled, seething.

'Probably got punished or something. Ignore him.' said Itachi. 'Oh well, let's do our part, Dongling.' she said as to keep her appearance of being caught off-guard, she wore her hair down. Besides, all himes back home wear their hair down, no?

'Heh, they don't know you're better now.' Dongling smirked. 'But we'll keep up with the act.'

xxx

Dining Hall...

They were treated to a sight of both ill and unwell people.

Huang Beiyue the famous chronically-ill waste came. She was thin, but glowed in beauty that her being thin barely mattered. Even when not dolled up, her beauty far effortlessly upstaged that of Ling and Yun's who were common-born beauties instead of 'bred beauties' from purely-noble and royal families spanning for generations. Her long hair worn loose fresh from a bath just gave her a more ethereal look.

Even Yuancheng and his servants wondered how she got her beauty back when before she was akin to a living corpse with sunken, dark eyes and gaunt face with sunken cheeks. Then again, considering Xue's bringing her medicine, perhaps she was feeling a bit better?

'...what's going on?' Itachi feigned cluelessness while inwardly amused that his plan worked. 'Did you guys eat bad food?'

'That's impossible as we bought the freshest in the market!' Yuancheng grunted irritably, striding over by just sheer will alone as he doesn't feel good. 'Just sign this and get out of my sight!' he shoved the papers at her face.

Itachi 'read' the papers.

'Ara, an annullment? Oh well, I don't know who this Xue Che is anyway, I don't care about a person I never met.' said Itachi casually.

'An annullment? You were engaged?' Dongling played along.

'Apparently. Never knew. Mother never said anything about this. Even when she was alive, she never took me to meet him. How should I know this existed?' Itachi shrugged as a maid gave Beiyue an inked brush and she signed her name while pinning the paper to the wall with her left hand and wrote with the other. 'Besides, engagements are just mere business deals with a couple sealing the deal, unless some cause causes it to be called off.' she said nonchalantly much to universal disbelief that she really doesn't care. 'Perhaps this Xue Che found a lady he likes since he never met me either. Well, let the bird fly away then.'

She clearly doesn't care as she cheerfully signed her name. 'Here.' she gave the papers to Yuancheng who took it. One copy for him and Xue Yang.

"This waste clearly doesn't care that I, a well-sought-after bachelor just dumped her!" Xue Che gaped in shock. "I, a 4-star summoner of well-repute, from a Dukedom?! How dare she?! Humph" he fumed. "Beauty is nothing if she is good for nothing!" he had his eye on Xiao Yun, both a beauty and a 3-star genius! Who the heck reaches 3-star at fifteen? If she marries him, they can have genius children!

He conveniently overlooked that Beiyue was far more beautiful. And that Xiao Yun's beauty was inferior but he cared more for power like anyone else.

It was supposed to be HIM dumping her if not for feeling funny tonight, that SHE dumped him in public instead of what's planned!

'Let's go home, it's quite a chilly spring. They got what they want anyway.'

'Yes, miss.' Dongling helped her lady walk out of the dining hall.

'Did that just happen?' Xiao Zhongqi croaked out. 'Weren't we supposed to amuse ourselves?'

'Like hell we can do that now, we all feel sick!' Xue Che grunted. 'Father, let's go home. Maybe this will be gone by tomorrow.' he said, turning to his father.

'I agree, Yuancheng, we best retire early.' said Anguo Gong. 'Maybe this will pass tomorrow. Take care of the ladies.'

'Mm.'

While they snatched a prize from his fool of a daughter, how are they supposed to give a good impression to Anguo Gong now when they all fell ill in his household?!

He has to find a way out of this somehow!

'Go get father, he'll help us sort this out!'

xxx

At home...

'Cold...Dongling, tea.' Itachi kept up the sick act until they got to the gate of their home. 'It's colder this year I might have a fever again...I don't feel so good...'

'Eek! Yes miss, please hang on until we get to your room!' Dongling wailed as she wound up carrying Itachi bridal style as she fell limp in her arms so Dongling kicked the gate open so they could get in and kicked the gate back close. '...well?' she whispered.

'We were followed as I suspected.' Itachi whispered back. 'We may have to keep up this act all night.'

'Ok...'

xxx

Back at the Main Residence...

The fact that two families and some of their retinues fell ill at the exact same time was the talk of the servants as the healthy had to assist their ill masters and young masters and mistresses.

Naturally, gossiping servants will have that detail leaked out in no time flat.

Time for Yan to do Stage 3.

The sightings.

She had given Yan 50% freedom since the seals aren't like that of Jinchuuriki's. But the mechanics of dying together remains the same. Unlike a Jinchuuriki's Seal, the prison was powered up by Ki when normally, a prison sucks their power to be used as a weapon.

But who and whydunnit, was the question.

Letting Yan out under conditions fair to them both lessened the ki burden. But Itachi would rather make chakra than cultivate Ki that'll amount to nothing.

xxx

Flowing Cloud Pavilion...

'Miss, by any chance, do you have an inkling of what happened just now?' Dongling asked Itachi after putting tea on a small table in the room.

'Hehe...I admit I have a hand in it.' Itachi smiled at her. 'It helps that I have no ki that they couldn't sense me.' she said.

'How did you do it?'

'I went to Xue's stash of poison pills and stole two pills. They were Grade 9 poison pills that she's using on me for years by mixing trace amounts into a pot of grass juice mixed with water she calls 'medicine'.' Dongling gawked at her.

Grade 9 pills were extremely illegal, that being seen possessing one will get you a Life Sentence at easiest, and Generational Punishment if you piss off the jury. Pharmacists don't take blame as they simply make what they were asked to make. But even then they charge extremely high in hopes to deter such killers. This was because Grade 9 pills cannot be traced. They are colorless, tasteless and odorless. A hidden killer only the very wealthy can afford!

'I have no idea how Xue has access to such poison.' Itachi continued thoughtfully. 'Yuancheng's pouring all his money as well as mine onto Zhongqi and Yun's cultivation leaving only enough for running the estate, servant salaries and food. So I decided that they should know how I feel all these years starting today.' Itachi smirked. 'And the only cure, is a Grade 9 detoxification pill. Have fun trying to buy that, though...' Itachi snorted. 'Last I checked, they're expensive.'

'Oh, you are so bad~!' Dongling giggled. 'They should have a taste of their own medicine! Have fun being weak indeed!'

'In the meantime, I have a task for you.' said Itachi. 'Me cultivating is forever hopeless. Whenever I try, it sinks into my dantian and disappears.' he told her to her astonishment as she reached into her pocket and took out the space ring to materialize something. 'You're the only one who can protect me now, so on your free time, cultivate.' she instructed, giving Dongling a brown pill.

'This pill...it's to awaken and open my Dantian...' Dongling croaked out, shakily taking the pill as Itachi nodded.

'Mother saved some pills for you.' she said. 'Go. I will train hard too even if I can't cultivate.'

'Y-yes!'

Dongling swallowed the pill and minutes later, felt warmth in her abdomen.

'I-I start now?'

'Yes.' said Itachi seriously. 'We start getting stronger today.'

xxx

Next day...

'No good.' said Zhongqi to his anxious younger sister Xiao Rou as their mother's condition hasn't changed as he got out of their mother's room. 'It didn't disappear overnight as we hoped.'

'How soon can grandfather get here? Where is he anyway?!' Rou cried, upset.

'Eight years ago, he went to Seclusion after making a Contract with his Fire Leopard to rise in cultivation.' said Zhongqi. 'Butler Zhou knows where he is and sent a Servant to go get him to rush home to help us out. We can only wait and hopefully he gets here in time.' he said worriedly.

'I hope so...I hope mom lives and that slag Xue dies, then we can be legal together.' Rou sighed. Zhongqi snorted and patted his sister's head.

'I'll check on the situation with Xue and Yun. With luck, we'll be Trueborns soon.' Zhongqi smirked. 'With Yun out of the way, I'll look better now!'


	3. Incident

Incident

A lot of people fell ill on what's supposed to be 'a fun occasion'.

It was until someone brought up that, 'Didn't you all stay inside the lobby in Princess Royal's Mansion?'

Those who weren't sick were those who weren't in it on that night.

Soon, it became known as the Curse of Princess Royal!

This caused fear and panic among the Servants.

They reported seeing a black shadow in the form of a woman and that doesn't help matters...

A curse Itachi will gladly exploit using Xue's poisons. He had laced up all diningware and cookware with poison over the night.

Back at Anguo Gong residence, Itachi waited for hours patiently and used the remaining poisoned incense in the Servant Quarters of Anguo Gong Residence, and the bedrooms of Anguo Gong and his son to poison them some more.

Those without Ki, get sick faster. Those with Ki can resist until no more. He gave it two hours, before opening the windows to let the air out to leave no trace.

Soon, when people ate that morning in Xiao Estate, NOW the whole mansion fell ill!

'It's a curse!'

The servants were now afraid.

Not like they can call for help either...otherwise what they were doing would come out, and they'll hang!

This is a curse, a curse!

'Sooo how long do we let it stay like this?' Dongling asked Itachi as she made breakfast that morning.

'Well, let them stew helplessly. They won't learn anything otherwise.' said Itachi casually. This, was karmic justice. Bullying a sick, weak girl? Their turn to be weak and helpless now! And nobody to bring them food and water!

'Third miss! Third miss!' a woman cried, knocking on the door.

It was Concubine Fang, accompanied by two of her maids. In her pavilion, as an unfavored wife because of Ling's severe social faux pas and inability to do martial arts as well despite having a healthy body, Fang and Ling's status were only a notch above the servants in the household because she was the master's wife and Ling a noble-born. Otherwise they'd suffer as Huang Beiyue had.

Depending on household annual income and spending, wives can have a number of servants based on monthly allowance granted to them by their husbands. Favored wives can easily get a lot of money, and unfavored wives can get mere pittances.

Concubine Fang has a monthly salary of 1000 gold only. 20 is enough food for a month for a group of four people...in a rich household. The rest is salaries and house maintenance and medicinal needs before pleasure.

Yet Concubines Qin and Xue have a lot of income through corruption. In fact, Yuancheng let them have their way with annual tax revenues from Qinghe and Miyang! That, was supposed to be Huang Beiyue's money. So they have a huge retinue waiting upon them hand-and-foot and spend money like water!

Dongling let her in.

'Third miss, please help me!' she cried despairingly. 'My Ling'er!'

'...didn't everyone get bad food last night?' Itachi asked innocently. 'That usually disappears in a few hours...'

'I wish it was! But Ling's body is so weak and feeble! She says she's terribly weak she can't even move!' Fang sobbed. 'When we called a doctor it wasn't Food Poisoning! Her body is slowly destroying itself by some illness even he cannot make heads nor tails of...' she shook fearfully. 'She'll be a paraplegic in years to come if not cured! That's the same diagnosis with everyone else! Then people were saying this was milady's curse but I don't believe in such nonsense, Princess Royal was very kind, she'd never curse anybody! Everyone's being stupid!'

'Concubine Fang...you're the only good human being in this evil household.' said Itachi, laying it on thickly as Fang's maids flinched behind her. 'And you were the only one who showed me kindness in my time of need...I would gladly help you but you know where MY money is going. I never received a single iron from my income from Qinghe and Miyang...I can't even help myself.' she pointed out. 'And as if to drive the point home that they took away what's mine, they all put me in this broken-down shack and barred me from my own home.' Itachi waved a hand to show the state of Flowing Cloud Pavilion.

That was the nasty truth about the princess living in the Xiao Estate.

'One cannot get what they want without money.' said Itachi softly to the woman's despair. 'The only way is to appeal to the Emperor but appealing to him means revealing where my money goes and that his gifts never reached me...you'll be lucky if Ling was spared because with my vouching, you definitely will be. But not her...for you know full well how Ling treats me.' Fang looked horrified at that as did her maids.

The Emperor dotes on Huang Beiyue, giving her lavish gifts...that never did reach her.

If he finds out what's going on...blood will flow. Except one person. Fang!

Fearful and heartbroken, Fang left in silence.

'...blood will flow...' Dongling murmured. 'Third Generation Punishment.' that was the cost of the crimes of the whole estate against Huang Beiyue.

'Yes...money makes the world go round.' Itachi shook her head. 'That's how this world goes.' "Yan, follow Concubine Fang and tell me her actions." she reached out to Yan.

**Hehe, it'll be interesting to see how this ends.** said Yan. **I never had this much amusement in all the years I'm locked up in here.**

"Well, I do not condone evil exploitation done unto a helpless innocent." said Itachi. "My sole regret, was Naruto-kun who I could never help. His suffering as a child was equal to that of this girl's. At least, I want to save this girl's identity, before we live our lives as here, I have the ability to grant her posthumous peace."

Yan judged Itachi based on requests she asked of him.

She was rather complex, but on the side of good. And she'll do anything to reach her goals even at her own expense. Now, her sole goal was justice for two young girls who suffered, before Dongling finds freedom from oppression while serving her princess. As for Itachi, she truly wanted to live as this time, she's not a soldier but a citizen where nothing's expected of her new body as everyone deemed Huang Beiyue useless. That means she's free to be HIMSELF for once in her miserable 16 years of life since she started training at six years old. Expectations. Pressure. Demands to do more than last time in an endless loop. That, along with doing things that breaks her heart was too much.

Which is why Itachi longed for a life she wanted, being a pacifist.

Being publicly useless is fine with her. She can gain power and train on her own, just not publicize it.

As far as Itachi was concerned, the only people who truly cared for Huang Beiyue was her late mother and her only friend and maid Dongling. Nobody else cared.

They had seen the young girl's memories.

So Itachi chose to fight for her because she's using her body and identity. Justice, before freedom indeed.

He followed Fang using her shadow.

The woman basically decided, 'Screw this, I'm doing this!' and headed for Tianwei Department...

xxx

Geng Zhong never expected a visitor who pleaded he see her and hear her out.

She was Concubine Fang, a rarely-seen Concubine of Xiao Yuancheng.

Unlike his other wives who remained young and beautiful, Fang truly looked her age.

She bared it all.

What truly happened in the Xiao Estate from start to finish, asking him not to interrupt her until the end.

He and his Eunuch aides were in shock from the revelations.

'I see...and from telling me all this, what do you hope to get, Concubine Fang?' Geng asked her with a hard look.

'My daughter's life is all I ask! My Ling'er to be cured and spared.' Concubine Fang cried, kowtowing. 'Perhaps all this...may indeed be a curse...a curse aimed at evil people who hurt her daughter. Third miss who never did anyone wrong. She was a gentle and sweet girl exploited by everyone just because she is chronically ill and cannot fight back...I am just as powerless as she...in a household that disdains her very existence as they use her money while making her live in a shack denied of even the basics of human rights alongside her only maid!'

'I'll see what his majesty thinks. I cannot move without his verdict.' said Geng. 'You'll have to tell him what you just told me.' he said, 'I'm gonna give the men 10 minutes to inform the princes to be present alongside his majesty.'

Honestly, he feared the wrath of the Emperor...

And when Fang finished her tale...

Emperor Huang Fengshuang was livid and furious, not just shocked by the revelations of Concubine Fang. His sons were speechless. Not only was Huang Beiyue set up for exploitation and abuse for the rest of her short life, there was also the actions of Anguo Gong and his son. Thankfully Beiyue doesn't care as she never met nor knew him and happily signed the annullment, but before 'the curse', the two families were planning on humiliating and shaming her for being dumped for her uselessness to amuse themselves, to quote Xiao Ling according to Concubine Fang. Prince Jing whose mother was Anguo Gong's sister was horrified, fearing damage on his maternal relatives that in turn, will affect his standing in his father's eyes with this stunt of theirs!

His father was thorough, if it concerned Royal Aunt, his niece and his children.

However, karma says otherwise, Fang thinks, that everyone who used and abused a sweet girl is now paying for all their sins as anyone who was in the lobby fell terribly ill at the exact same time, but she still wants her daughter saved, in exchange for airing out the evil of the Xiao Household, fully-aware what's coming.

'Surround the Xiao Estate with the Black Cavalry now! Arrest everyone you see and bring them before me!' he roared in rage. 'And bring Beiyue to the Royal Physician! I suspect Foul Play at this point on her! Concubine Fang.' the Emperor looked at Fang. 'I will spare your daughter if your words matched with Beiyue's and let her see Prince Xiaoyao. You are for now, under arrest, but you will just be in detention until all this is over. Lord Geng, I want you to investigate the flow of money from Qinghe and Miyang spanning four years, starting from the day after sister died! I'll deal with Anguo Gong later, Beiyue and gelding the whole Xiao Family is more important!'

'As you will.' Fang bowed. She's confident as doing good over the years even if she suffered, finally bore her good in her time of need.

xxx

Prince Xiaoyao could not believe what he just heard from the livid Emperor that visited his office...and the tale he brought with him because of Concubine Fang who would go far for her errant daughter if and only if Beiyue vouched for her. That, and he hopes that Beiyue can be cured after years of languish after believing a bribed charlatan she was set up against.

How the Emperor longed to murder Xiao Yuancheng and now he gets his chance.

xxx

When the Black Cavalry is set loose, everyone in Linhuai knew someone WILL get executed.

They first surrounded the Xiao Estate before a separate group went in to have a mission: Arrest everyone and take both Huang Beiyue and her maid to the Royal Infirmary.

Flowing Cloud Pavilion...

'...good thing we didn't go physical today.' Itachi muttered as their resident gates opened.

'The Black Cavalry...' Dongling gasped out as she left Itachi's room to open the doors for the knights clad in black armor, hence their name. They serve the Tianwei Department, the Imperial Censorate known for cold-blooded impartiality in ALL cases. They even have authority to arrest royalty who committed crimes against the country and its people. That was what they were established for. When a new Emperor is enthroned, they investigate his background to make sure a clean Emperor is on the throne. They can only be moved by the Emperor when the law and security is concerned, nothing else.

To that end, to avoid influences, they never take in anyone from known families and factions. They only take in those they choose to be a part of them to maintain their position as impartial, unbiased judges.

'Where is Princess Beiyue?'

'She's in her room sir. She's decent.' said Dongling softly.

'Pack everything up. You have thirty minutes. We will be back for you after we do our business in this estate.'

'Sir.' Dongling then rushed to Itachi's room. 'Miss, we have half an hour to pack up everything.'

'Mm. For now I'll keep the ring. We'll maintain the ruse that we have nothing.' said Itachi. 'So we'll carry it all physically. And I'll maintain the facade they expect of me.'

'OK.' Dongling then went packing and then they waited to be picked up...

xxx

Royal Infirmary, sometime later...

Four years since Princess Royal's death, that they saw Huang Beiyue again.

She was very thin like a waif, sembling a ghost, and wore very cheap clothes!

Her long hair also wasn't worn up. It remained down.

She was also clinging to Dongling with a wary stare at everyone in the room.

The doctor diagnosed her to be fully-recovered, just malnourished.

'Beiyue! I'm so sorry!' the Emperor cried, embracing her. 'If only I pried more, we could have saved you sooner!'

'...what's done is done. The past cannot be taken back.' said Itachi softly. 'And I'll tell you my side that Aunt Fang doesn't know.'

'What she doesn't know?'

'Yes...that my illness was in fact, from poison.' said Itachi much to collective horrors. 'I was born with a defect that I can never cultivate ki no matter how hard I tried...because it will always sink and disappear.' she said, demonstrating for the adults present in the room. 'As a result, I was written off as non-human...and soon, my illness began.' said Itachi. 'Yuancheng was particularly harsh that day as due to mother's abilities, he expected too much of me and harshly disowned me on the spot.'

'Concubine Xue tried to cheer me up with sweets while mother smacked Yuancheng, sending him flying by seven meters.' Itachi continued, much to the Emperor's dark glee. She could see how he hated her father. 'She comes with treats such as sweet cakes or candy. But a year later, I began feeling weak during body training, and it got worse the more active I was, I was easily exhausted then. Mother and I never realized that those treats contained trace amounts of poison...and when I finally got worse, it was a perfect excuse to give me her so-called medicine...when in fact it's just juice of weeds, water and trace amounts. Again.'

'Due to how bad my body was with sheer accummulated stress, it took me four years later to remember mother's lessons about the hidden caches in our mansion only she knew about since she built it with sorcery...I was able to go back home that I'm barred from and went to mother's old room.' Itachi continued. 'The hidden caches are all medicine from grade 1 to 9...and only the grade 9 detoxification pill reacted to my body that I realized the truth. I tested a drop of the medicine on a drop of Xue's supply of medicine and it canceled out. That means Xue has access to Grade 9 poison pills.' that was to many horrors.

'The money she got from Miyang's income isn't enough for a jarful of it, so she clearly has a supplier who might be mother's enemy within court politics, rich enough to afford the pills and exploited Xue's ambitions. She spends the taxes of Miyang on Xiao Yun's cultivation and her dresses and jewelry to snag a rich husband. She keeps the jar by her bedside in her bedroom...and its the kind that degrades the body to gradual weakness...bedridden state...until death. It's a long, drawn out murder plan just to avoid suspicion.'

'And does Qin attempt anything?' the Emperor growled.

'She cannot do it because there's already a scandal to her name as everyone knows...not only that, she would be suspect number one in a treacherous harem household as she has connections to the Court through her father, Chief Counselor who would surely have friends who can access such classy poisons. The most she can do is being a typical antagonist in a drama.' Itachi sighed as the doctor, Emperor and Xiaoyao can recall said scandal that happened twenty years ago.

It was a Palace Banquet day that year, mere MONTHS after Princess Royal married Xiao Yuancheng! They were found by a Eunuch having sex in the hallway INSIDE the palace! And he just recently married a woman any man wanted to have and he's the lucky one to have her and yet...! He must have thought that upon scoring their country's most beautiful woman, he's quite the rake now so he angered a lot of people that day, and Chief Counselor disowned Qin on the spot to prevent shame from staining his family.

'And your relationship with Concubine Fang?'

'She was as powerless as I was, but the only one by my side...but she cannot show it openly lest she loses what little she had left. Because she was the unfavorite concubine because she doesn't indulge in sex and treats sex as needed only to have children-' her choice of words made everybody choke and Dongling blush scarlet, '-unlike Qin and Xue who would gladly strip and perform like high-class whores to maintain favor every night, and Ling wasn't good in martial arts that she was ignored, and receives the bare minimum monthly allowance in a noble household of 1000 gold coins.'

'It was all she had left from an uncaring husband to support herself and her daughter and what she got for being a virtuous proper lady who lives a simple life.' Itachi explained in her usual clinical logic. 'She cannot afford to be thrown away by Yuancheng who cared more for how useful you are to him than being a good husband and father in a healthy household. Especially when Ling was utterly spoiled growing up she never knew how to live er, modestly like her mother had. And with Ling's personality, she cannot go into Lingyang lest she makes enemies just by talking and get killed.'

'Mm.' the Emperor then glanced at Xiaoyao. 'I would have to ask you to make a pill to heal Miss Ling, as I promised Concubine Fang.' he decided. 'But...is this really Huiwen's curse?' he wondered thoughtfully.

'I will have to check on Miss Ling first, your majesty.'

xxx

For Beiyue to have her money back, the Xiao Estate was confiscated and liquidated for the Xiaos to pay back ALL the money Yuancheng and his wives stole from Beiyue since Huiwen's death, and has custody of Beiyue as a Legal Guardian of both her and Dongling. And obviously, the Xiao Clan is no longer a noble family. Upon liquidation of the property, Itachi must clean up all hidden caches she knew her mother made for her, before all buildings, trees and plants within are all burned and it's now an empty plot of land up for sale. She did more than just caches, she took anything that's potentially incriminating.

And as expected, for a crime of this degree...punishment was unto the Third Generation...in the Servants' cases after publicizing their crimes though details weren't explained. Then the Xiao Family's crimes are publicized to nitty-gritty details and are sentence for life in harsh punishment in jail while losing the Xiao Estate, liquidated to pay back the money they stole from Huang Beiyue. To prevent escape attempts, they took by force Xiao Yun's Snow Cat summon and all family members are in separate jail cells for the rest of their invalid lives.

But for Concubine Xue, her punishment is special, due to the nature of her crimes and finding out who her supplier was, but her mind had powerful enchantments they'll have to work on to get info they wanted. As painful as possible on their monarch's orders. Pay suffering unto suffering.

For now, on Itachi's wish, she and Dongling live in obscurity away from the two-faced citizens of Linhuai City. Since nobody wanted anything to do with her nor expects anything out of her, that is fine with her. Her only wish is to be left alone in peace, wanting nothing to do with society.

Right now, they're currently in the palace. Beiyue having her mother's old residence, and Dongling living with her as usual.

'How many maids would you like to have, Yue'er?' the Emperor asked her.

'Dongling is sufficient, uncle. Besides, I don't want potential spies spying on me for their true masters in the shadows who means ill.' said Itachi. 'And I am particularly sore that mother's maids abandoned us to our fate in our time of need.' the Emperor looked irked at her words while looking worried. 'I sure hope they didn't marry because if their attitude towards two young girls was abandoning them if they're not useful, I fear for their actual flesh and blood.'

'Mm. I shall have those women investigated...but Dongling, will you be alright? Sister's residence is much bigger than that shack you used to deal with.'

'I will be alright your majesty.' Dongling smiled. 'Princess is having me train so cleaning a whole pavilion is also body training for me.'

The Emperor can sense that Dongling has ki, and just recently opened her dantian for cultivation. Perhaps since the truth coming out, she has begun training...


	4. Isolated Living

Isolated Living

It was the final day of first spring month, when all that scandal happened.

Horrified with the revelations, Chief Counselor Qi feared for his life as well as that of his legal wife and favorite daughter and granddaughter pleading with the Emperor, only to learn that only the Xiao Clan was punished.

'You disowned Qin already, meaning she has nothing to do with the Qi family anymore, why panic?' the Emperor would say, much to the relief of Qi's legal wife and eldest daughter who was Marchioness Pingbei, her husband being Marquis Pingbei who was just as nervous in fear of losing his wife and their daughter, Meng Hongling and the man came with his family to plead for their lives, as Qin committed a heinous crime with Prince Consort of all people as her enabler: by stealing from a Royal! Qi's concubine who was Qin's mother can only accept her daughter's fate with grim grace, wondering where had she gone wrong in raising Qin, having worked hard to make her as virtuous as her older sister, all for nothing! And look where that got her and her grandchildren now!

She too, mourned the fates of Zhongqi and Rou, as who else would, as because of her daughter, her husband doesn't even spare a thought for them just for being Qin's children, only having Hongling in his eyes.

However, the case of Concubine Xue horrified everyone. She was once a peasant girl who Princess Royal rescued on the brink of starvation in Miyang due to poverty, took her in as a maid and gave her an education...only to betray the hand that feeds! She seduced Princess Royal's husband while she was in war against Dongli that she became a Concubine upon Princess Royal's return home so she discovered the betrayal too late. And years later slowly poisoned her daughter that she could not even do body training and martial arts!

She was the opposite of Concubine Fang, a maid elevated to Concubine Status long before Xiao Yuancheng married Princess Royal. She remained a virtuous, proper woman whose sole misfortune, was attracting and marrying a man like him and lived an indignant life for staying true to her virtue and modesty. She was a neglected wife as Yuancheng wanted wives who can cater to his sexual needs when he wants them to perform for him! And since Princess Royal was similar in that regard, she too, was a neglected wife as her husband preferred immoral women! Befitting for an immoral man at that.

She and her daughter Ling were the known sole survivors of the Xiao Purge as Princess Beiyue vouched for Fang as she was the only 'genuinely kind human being' to her in an evil household. Upon the purge, she was given by the Emperor money, and a house big enough for her and her daughter on Beiyue's behest with a chance to remarry and hopefully, get a man who was morally better than her ex-husband who would treat her as she deserves after 13 years of disregard. She currently sent Ling to Workshop Schools and now using her mother's maiden name, as Fang was once, Shen Fang(lit: honest life).

That was the grim truth behind Princess Beiyue's so-called uselessness and they all played into Xue's hands. And Princess Beiyue who was now fully-healed, suffered everyone's unjust mistreatment and mocking of her wanted nothing to do with everyone in turn, wanting nothing to do with 'two-faced people', settling for living with just her only true friend in the world who stayed by her side in their shared suffering in the Xiao Estate. She became a figure who was unable to trust anyone who wasn't her maid and the Emperor.

Speaking of maids...the Emperor hunted down and punished all his late sister's former maids for abandoning two young girls to their cruel fate in the Xiao Household with physical punishment. He had their kneecaps extracted and the women thrown out into the streets to experience what it means, to be helpless.

He was very thorough in punishing all who wronged his sister and niece who never did anyone wrong. Everyone in the palace nervously waited for the storm to die out.

As for Anguo Gong and his son Xue Che who suffered 'the curse' along with the retinue they brought with them, he left them alone, feeling his sister's curse, was punishment enough, and forbidding doctors and experts to see them under threat of public execution unto the third generation. As a result of their actions, Xue-Yifei, once a favored consort pressured her son to do well in his father's eyes out of fear they would lose favor due to what her brother and nephew had done, fearing they would be affected by it!

And now, in the Anguo Gong Clan, Xue Yang's only son was Xue Che, he was a rare nobleman who only had one wife, thus just two children in Che and Meng, their only daughter. So when the Emperor let the clan handle their affairs as Yang can no longer be a Gong...he deliberately set them up for infighting to become the next Anguo Gong whose son in turn, will be the Gongzi. Anyone with a brain, can see that! Xue Yang has siblings...who are now squabbling for the spot.

In Princess Royal's Residence in the Palace, Itachi and Dongling trained hard together, training their body under her lead, as Itachi knows full well how a Kunoichi's body should develop to be beautiful, but deadly. It was a technique invented by Tsunade, upon discovering how to make the female body develop in certain ways through training and diet. This was to conceal a kunoichi perfectly well to pose as a normal girl in blending in for infiltration duties.

Training in the past gave women muscular arms and legs, and broad shoulders giving them away and getting kunoichi in trouble oh-so-much.

With the Sharingan, she memorized all books containing techniques, be it training, ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, medicine and food processing and the knowledge was ingrained in her memories.

Dongling was made to study and master cooking in how Itachi wants it done for kunoichi-worthy bodies, as well as studying survival skills.

With a lot of money with Itachi being filthy rich, Itachi studied all foodstuff this world has to offer to find ingredients with components needed, and use ONLY THOSE in their lives using a jutsu. Then upon experimenting in the kitchen, created recipes she will allow Dongling to only make until they turn 20.

Considering how the Sharingan works, Itachi, with Yan's help and expertise, was able to recreate it as a technique. She only bothered with the instant-memorization part. She has access to the library for her self-education, while cultivating ki to maintain the half of the prison she controls while molding chakra at the same time to increase her own chakra reserves for when the time comes. And ki was actually natural energy that she had to be careful in gathering it and avoid mixing it with her chakra to avoid Sage Mode. Until she trains and calibrates her current body enough to regain the stats she had in life, she dare not make and use it.

So now, due to self-imposed isolation and seclusion, if not for the Emperor, nobody would know how she's doing in a weekly basis, and the Royal Librarian would see the Princess and her maid reading books together. They won't take tutors due to inability to trust anyone.

That month of trouble ended, with a new Anguo Gong and Gongzi in place, and presented themselves in court. With Anguo Gong in a precarious position due to the actions of Xue Yang and Che, they have to elevate themselves in the Emperor's eyes...or else. Xue-Yifei, their consort representative was in danger as well as Prince Jing.

And by that time, due to eating well and training, as well as consuming medicine, Dongling and Itachi gained a healthy body quicker than in a normal time period it normally takes to heal a malnourished body supplied by Prince Xiaoyao on Emperor's request. Not even Tsunade and all her discoveries could accomplish such feats with mere pills.

Perhaps by using ki during Pill Refining Process by Pharmacists is what jumpstarts the instantaneous processes, just like magic.

That was what Itachi thought.

So she stole a high-class censer in the night in Bugi'er Bazaar, the kind that one missing won't be noticed.

She tried with chakra on a basic Muscle-Growing Elixir...didn't work. It really had to be with Ki. She gathers ki and uses that Ki to refine pills while ensuring it doesn't go to her Dantian.

Easy as pie.

Due to her case, the ki she gathers is purely untainted, unlike cultivators whose ki becomes influenced with their natural elemental affinities. Pharmacists are all solely Earth-Affinities as only Earth-type Ki can refine pills. Other elemental types could not. So she can use her ki to safely make pills. However, in regards to chakra, she was no longer a fire-type, but became a wind-type. So she has to adjust accordingly.

For now, Pharmacy can wait. Training and re-calibrating is top priority...and training Dongling.

Schedule in order?

Wake up at crack of dawn and breakfast, physical and combat training until lunch break, then ninjutsu training after that, and Ki Cultivation and Control Refinement at night on weekdays while on weekends, it's full-weekend combat sparring practice. And humans here are ki-inclined that using jutsu was easier with no need for handseals.

She, under a disguise as her true self ordered 1000 throwing kunai, and four big ones with double-edge for use as a knife. Then metal wires to her specifications, and various ninja tools. However, some stuff, she had to make her own, such as Explosive Tags, Smoke and Flash Bombs, and exploited Fuinjutsu that she knew. And Space Rings were more convenient than Sealing Scrolls any day! Tinier, more space, and can call out anything you want at a moment's notice. Then while disguising her face, she had dresses made to her specifications in different shops in order to have plenty of dresses on hand, and bought matching accessories. But she'll wait on the shoes part. She might grow more.

All her dresses were based on a trend that was slowly going out of style. If she viewed it in a way thinking of a clothing style in her old world...yup. She'll be unique as she just introduced hakama-style skirts and unique tops that go well together.

'Miss, how on earth do you know such techniques?' Dongling asked Itachi, baffled. Her miss is teaching her unusual techniques now, left-and-right!

'Mixing and meshing together the basics mother taught me, along with self-studying specific books in the library.' Itachi smiled. 'We'll do things our way to be unique in style from everyone else.'

'OK...'

Dongling accomplished the beginner stage of cultivating, ready to go to 1st Layer of Cultivation Stage thus gained a new pill from Itachi. She's at a Genin-Level in ability now...by Itachi's own war-standards, that is. And she can see peace-time genin-standards, when she first saw her little brother again at age 12 and tried to kill her in rage. Too slow.

For Warriors, there are 9 levels and after that, is the long-sought Spirit Master, Spirit King, and Spirit Ancestor as the pinnacle.

But Warriors, Pharmacists and Enchanters at most, are at Level 9. It's too expensive to cultivate. What more of Summoners who have to go through three stages before the next level?

For twenty year olds, the most they can go to, was 4-stars and another twenty to reach 5 or 6 stars for most people. But if you are rich, you'll be a 7-star when you hit your early twenties in the case of Prince Jing...and if you are lucky like Crown Prince Zhanye who became a 9-star for successfully winning over one of the Wuling, the Purple-Fire Kirin. And he's 16 to Jing's 22!

At her skill level, Itachi taught Dongling the Rope-Escape, and Substitution as vital for survival in battles and escaping captivity.

'Miss, I mastered the Substitution now!' Dongling declared, showing that she did. 'What will I learn next?'

'You will learn Shunshen next.' Itachi told her. 'It's a little difficult even for me when I designed it...' she demonstrated to Dongling after gathering Ki for her own use to show Dongling and flickered in many places. 'This will be handy to pull a fast one on your enemies. Escaping their attacks and appearing behind them to attack, or simply escaping impossible odds against you. To do this...' she taught Dongling how to do the technique, and she is to practice to mastery until she can move in how she wanted to move, and getting used to moving in calculated speeds and calculating where to appear without noise.

Easier said, than done!

As for Itachi, she really had to re-calibrate herself, to also be capable of using jutsu she knew in life using Ki. It was another level of stress.

But she didn't gain the title of genius by slacking off!

xxx

At the end of the second month of spring, Dongling was ready for breaking through Level 2.

'Miss...is this really OK?' Dongling asked Itachi over breakfast. To not waste time in training, she cooks three different meals at dawn and save lunch and dinner in Space Rings.

'It's alright. My condition will just waste these precious pills away.' said Itachi, giving her the pill needed to breakthrough to Level 2. 'It's futile...so with that in mind, mother prepared all these pills for you to ascend all the way to 9 layers and Spirit Master stage to be my protector...because she knew that you would never betray me unlike everybody else.'

'Miss...' Dongling was both touched and sad in that order. Happy that she, a mere commoner gets the opportunity to be someone great because she was trusted, yet her miss could not. 'But you could use ki!'

'That's if I gathered and used it immediately, not cultivate it into my dantian.' Itachi pointed out, amused. 'That, is my sole way out. But I can never be any form of master.'

'Oh...'

'You now mastered Shunshen and Fenshen(bunshin), next will be something a little bit painful, if done wrong.' that got Dongling nervous now!

Outside the house where there was a walnut tree...Itachi demonstrated the Tree Climbing. She calmly walked up sideways to Dongling's shock. 'This is Mudeng.' she said. 'This training involves focusing a fixed amount of ki to the bottom of one's feet, and using that to climb a tree without using one's hands. If the stream of ki is too weak, the user will lose their footing on the tree and fall off. If it is too strong, the user will be pushed away from the tree, causing the tree to break around the point of contact and the user will fall.' Dongling gulped. That definitely explained why its painful. 'The harder version is doing it on walls as walls are smooth. Handy for escaping incase walls are too high to jump over, even with ki-infused legs for jumping boost. You are to master Tree and Wall Climbing until you can walk up and down, and run up and down with ease.'

'Eep...'

'The next one will be the toughest of the tough general skill I'll teach you. Shuimian Buxing. Exactly as it sounds...if you're ever forced to escape enemies in the forest and a deep river or a vast lake is in your way, you can run on water and they can't.' Itachi chuckled. 'If you mastered the first two, you'll have less trouble with this one in regards to skill, but you have fear and nerves to deal with, so you must do this exercise calmly...or sink.' Dongling gulped. 'So for the last one, we'll go out in the forest outside the city for real-life experience as training in the safety of our carp pond just won't hammer it home enough.'

Unknown to Dongling, this Itachi is a Kage Bunshin.

The real her, was training in the woods with six Kage Bunshin both chakra made and another six that were ki-made, only coming back to switch with her clone to eat!

xxx

That night...dinner time...

Someone knocked on the door.

'Princess! You have received an invitation from his majesty!' Dongling used Shunshin to get to the gate fast to see an attendant bearing an invitation.

'It's to an annual banquet...' Dongling mused as she thanked the attendant before going to give the invitation to Itachi.

'Ah, this happens every year.' said Itachi, looking at the invitation. 'Same schedule, never changed. But I'll ask him if my seating's changed, so I'll know where to sit on such occasion. I'll ask when I've bathed tonight.'

Well, the Emperor can understand her paranoia by asking him specifically for details.

She no longer trusts easily.

She'll come when there's at least, one dress done. Even the smallest dress in the market could not fit her due to how thin she was so she had custom made stuff done.

One of her formal dresses was finished, the rest, not. Her casual outfits are very done. Formal dresses were...not done due to how she wanted the embroidery done! On high-grade silk!

Her formal dresses are white, sooo anything can be printed on it. Her casual clothing are anything goes in color and design.

Apparently, if one wants designs on their clothes, it has to be embroidered. This world doesn't know Yuzen Resist Dyeing yet. Too bad she hasn't studied it. She has only heard of it in passing when her former mother wanted a kimono with such dyeing technique but its PRICEY...

So fancy clothing here, are embroidered stuff. The cheapest being 10 gold due to all the effort put in and near-sleepless nights if orders are rushed.

As for hairstyle that night, Half her hair will be in two braided buns with her customized accessories so she can wear the rest of her hair down, and she has earrings matching her dress.

There's no way she'll do her hair in an updo with all those kanzashi, she's no geisha!

Culture Clashes, alas!

But there's one thing in common between two worlds. In history in her world, married women wear their hair up. And singles wear their hair partially styled, the rest worn loose. When she was done, even Dongling squealed at how princessly she looked with her...unique outfit!

"Er, I AM a princess..."


	5. The Party

The Party

Due to how Dongling squealed at her hairstyle, Itachi reckoned she should keep her hair that way in public after wearing her hair loose for two months. Those heavy buns Huang Beiyue always does feel so heavy to the neck. It was once knee-length, but to Dongling's horror before she styled her hair, she cut it to the length of around her tailbone area. in a blunt, straight-even cut.

'Miss, why'd you cut your hair?!'

'...a literal pain in the ass from so much weight. Inconvenient.'

'I-Inconvenient...?' Dongling squeaked weakly.

'Yes. My neck hurts from all that weight, too troublesome to maintain even with your help.' Itachi continued. Besides, such long hair is such a security risk...what's stopping people to use her hair against her to hold her captive while inflicting pain on her skull? 'Moreover, I'm worried about something like this. I'll demonstrate and sorry in advance...' Itachi demonstrated why she disliked long hair the painful way.

'Kyaaa!'

'This is what enemies will do to us if they got us through our hair.' Itachi patted Dongling's head in comfort. 'That is why I want us to master what we've got. Make it truly ours...our weapon.' she said. 'And nobody will ever know we got stronger. Nobody is to know. That is our way.' Itachi taught Dongling. 'We are to be flowers...who possess poisons and thorns. Nobody will expect anything of us, therefore not see us coming at their most arrogant.' Itachi taught her. 'And we will strike like lightning to kill all our enemies.'

'Yes, miss!'

'The carriage will be here soon...I better use the facilities.'

It's still spring, therefore cold.

The annual palace banquets.

There's two a year.

The Spring one is where nobles and their legal families can attend for the social debuts of their children/younger children. A truly social event in hopes of finding matches for sons and daughters. The season where after cold, life blooms once more. It's clear her uncle hopes that if she debuts today, she would meet a man who would love her so she wouldn't be alone. However, when before Concubines and their children are allowed to attend, they lost the privileges thanks to Qi Qin, the disgraced daughter of Chief Counselor. So only legal wives, trueborns and concubine-born children were allowed to attend.

The Emperor doted on her so, as if she were his own child. In a way, she was, as her mother and the ruler were twins so they share half of the same blood.

But Itachi wasn't stupid.

Each time he speaks of her mother with her, it was strongly implied, that he held forbidden feelings towards his sister and she who was more beautiful than her mother with no trace of Xiao Yuancheng on her looks, that he imagines that she would have been the daughter they should have had, had his love been allowed to bear fruit with her. She was treasured by the man as she was all that's left of the woman he loved.

Then there's the Winter one. Where it's only military and experts gathering.

What both got in common, is that it's cold as hell!

From the venue to the washroom, it takes a good thirty minutes to go there back and forth, unless you know a quicker way how to not be missing for an hour.

The main enemy: chilly air.

One has to have a steel bladder as a result.

Young ladies and gentlemen who were disciplined enough can come. To avoid shaming their families and their reputation about said bladder issues, so 12 is the youngest they can come here, present themselves and not shame their clan.

Welp, she's a ninja.

Enduring was what's expected of her. Besides, there's shunshin...

xxx

Xia Guang Hall, after she and Dongling got off the carriage, Beiyue now has to walk on foot towards the hall and mix herself with the other noble ladies in order of age and marital statuses.

Those who have fiancees are at the very front, and those who haven't, are at the back. Those who have, wore the latest clothes with embroidery and hairstyles that symbolize that they're spoken for. The singles of course, wear part of their hair down and wear brightly-colored clothes with embroidery.

And so...she hid herself, using the Meisaigakure no Jutsu. Another technique she'll teach Dongling soon before her first technique.

The men go see the Emperor, ladies go see the Empress.

Everyone is attracting attention. They wear fancy beads, jewels and pearls, a dazzling line-up, every young lady and noble ladies all look very touching, wearing splendid clothes and attires, every one of them wearing red and green, striving to be seen. But by wearing the same colors, it actually makes them a forest with nary a tree standing out. She who wore white with flowery embroidery, not the golden wavy patterns everyone sports, was standing out which was why she concealed herself until the time came.

She checked on her own chair, invisible.

Her chair is fine and no hidden gimmicks on her area too. So she mingled herself with the crowd as palace maids guided the ladies to their seats according to status. She and Princess Yingye, her uncle's trueborn daughter, know where they'll sit, so no need!

This year has changes.

Because of the heinous crimes of Princess Royal's Residence, their table and seating was noticeably gone, as the Emperor took custody of his niece, Princess Huang Beiyue.

What was she like now? Has she been recovering from years of poisoning and malnourishment? The Emperor will surely summon Prince Xiaoyao for his services, they thought.

They suddenly spotted a young girl clad in white, walking behind Princess Yingye who was clad in pink, purple and white.

Her skin was icy white. Her form petite with appeal that her chosen outfit and the way she styled her hair with white flower accessories with diamonds made her look like a Tianshangnu! With her icy white skin never kissed by the sun, it made her pitch-black hair and eyes, and her red-matte lips stand out.

It took seconds for them to realize who this beauty was.

It's Huang Beiyue herself!

'It's Huang Beiyue!'

'It seems she's cured from poisoning...'

'Looking better but a little on the thin side.'

'Beautiful...but she clearly doesn't know martial arts for obvious reasons.'

'Yeah, that demoness deceived all of us...'

'I wonder if she's getting instructed? Martial Arts is everything in this world nowadays...'

'Look at the Anguo Gong Clan!'

Different people came this year.

The previous Gong and Gongzi fell ill to the angry curse of Princess Royal. While it's clear why the Xiaos were cursed, the cursed Xues were tight-lipped on why they got cursed too. People say the brothers squabbled on who the next Anguo Gong will be, so their own eldest trueborn sons will be the Gongzi when Che met his downfall.

The new Anguo Gong was Xue Ren, coming with his wife Xiang and their children, the 15 years old Ying who was now the Gongzi and his two sisters, Lan and Lian who were 13 and 12. Behind Ren's family was his older brother and his family. Xue Lei and his wife Zuan, and his children. His sons Sai who was 23, Kai 20 and their niece, Meng who was 15, the daughter of the disgraced Yang. All of whom are in Lingyang School.

Because Xue Yang got the title from their father, Senior Master Xue, he did not hesitate to spend all fortune on his son, Xue Che's cultivation when he had potential as a Summoner, while the other brothers got a sizable inheritance, but are still expected to work for the affluence of the family. The other Xue Children were all Warriors.

They were clearly braving to come here due to their family's damage in order to not lose any more face.

Soon, the banquet was full, well almost because someone was late. One Prince Feng Lianyi.

Itachi twitched.

The beauties of her old world, even her own former face, was worth nothing compared to the beauties he was seeing here. Even the men were good-looking and the one who stood out the most, was Mr. Late who also wore white like she had.

And the eyes he has...

...were eyes that she knows.

**...eyes that are watching, while concealing himself.**

xxx

The royal siblings had no idea how to interact with their youngest cousin Huang Beiyue, the girl who suffered in her own home while lies about her were spread as she was poisoned for years and helpless. They believed the lies of the Xiaos who were played with by an evil woman and committed evil after evil within an immoral household.

When everything was exposed, their father was at their angriest and scariest. Royal Aunt was bestowed to Xiao Yuancheng by their royal grandmothers and she and her daughter suffered as did Concubine Fang. In a household where being a good person made you worthless and useless but being immoral gains. Their father then hunted down Xiao Qiyuan, to drag him to his punishment he had inflicted on his son, wives and daughters who were in on the conspiracy. His spirit beast was granted to another but Beiyue gets his money and space rings to completely pay off the debt the Xiao Family owed.

The other Xiao relatives had no idea what Yuancheng, Qin and Xue had been doing, as they were supporting the main family outside the estate...and now, everything they worked on, lost forever. They were banished from Nanyi Country. That was lenient due to the fact they really WERE clueless after a thorough, brutal interrogation. The only one who can quell his wrath, was the wronged princess whom he visits on his free time. And then he hunted down royal aunt's former maids and inflicted physical punishment before throwing them out the streets.

And now, she's here for her first social appearance. She turned 12 last winter after all.

She's beautiful.

But with eyes of a dead person that haunted them both. They lived and grew up happy while she...

**...knew only hell.**

xxx

The banquet proceeded as normal.

Socializing, performances and of course, dinner.

When the first half of the banquet was over, it was socializing time!

But Itachi wasn't interested in that and simply went home after putting a piece of paper in her uncle's hand.

xxx

'She didn't stay very long.' Lianyi noted as when its time for socialization, Beiyue quickly left during socialization time.

'She doesn't trust easily.' Xiaoyao told him softly. 'When she and her only maid suffered the Xiaos who ruined her in all ways except virtue, it was them against the world. They were abandoned by those supposed to raise them. Nobody helped nor saved them until Huiwen's Curse struck the household and Xue Yang and Che.' he said. 'And a mother's love destroyed the evil causing their daughters pain.'

'Princess Royal and Concubine Fang.' Lianyi noted. That, had been huge news all over Linhuai City. A curse fell upon Xiao Yuancheng's family-not all Xiaos-but his servants who bullied the girl were also cursed. When their crimes came out, the Emperor happily smacked down Third-Generation Punishment in the dungeons, and hunted down the doctor Concubine Xue bribed, subjected to Third Generation Punishment too. Xue Yang and Che were cursed too...but Xiaoyao told him WHY they got cursed...because Beiyue overheard the servants sadistically talk about what their masters planned with the former Anguo Gong. However, curse aside, she ensured it was SHE who dumped Xue Che, not the other way around and never gave the boy satisfaction to amuse himself with. Only the Royal Family, Royal Doctor, Xiaoyao and the Xue Family knows the truth. And naturally being friends, Xiaoyao told Lianyi.

'Indeed so. It will be a long time before Yue'er and her maid can trust anyone who wasn't his majesty.' said Xiaoyao. 'There were claims of seeing her in the library self-studying, unable to trust tutors as well since when Huiwen died, Yuancheng ended their time with her making her think they abandoned her too with an incomplete education. It'll be a lonely life, until those girls can trust others again.' he said. 'And recently, she took an exam.'

'So soon?'

'Yes...just one month...she perfected an Imperial Exam Test Paper. said Xiaoyao. 'And to think she did it as a joke. But she hasn't done the oral exam since its not exam season so there's no jury to judge her with.'

xxx

Itachi returned home on her own to her residence where she found Dongling cultivating.

"Probably does since not much for her to do these days..." she thought.

But before summer, they'll clean the outside while it's still nice and cool, as who wants to work in the summer?

She took off her finery, and changed into cheap casual wear.

There was a reason she did NOT like social gatherings even in her youth before she became a nukenin.

For the time being, she too, decided to make her time productive, by studying.

xxx

Next day...outside in the woods by a rocky craggy area...

'Alright Dongling, one offensive technique first, before I teach the last stealth technique to end our set of Escape and Stealth technique set...for Offense is the best Defense...last time we confirmed that you're an Earth-Element in affinity. So you can be a Pharmacist if you choose but to be one, you must have perfectly-refined ki control.' she said. 'But for now, we start with techniques. The long-range first as it's the hardest to do and uses up a lot of power, but it trains you at the same time.'

'We'll start with Rock Pellet technique.' Itachi went on her knees with her hands touching the soil, and sure enough, soil-shaped balls the size of pills shot out and struck a tree where she can see holes! Dongling gulped. 'You wrap ki into soil, shape them into balls and you control them with your will in shooting towards your enemy at blink-fast speeds.' she said. 'You can even shape them into needles or blades if you like, but changing shape requires ki control and ki expenditure...the bigger the more, not to mention you have to shoot many bullets at once.'

'Your task is to be able to shoot human targets at 10 meters without tiring.' Itachi set the benchmark that horrified Dongling.

'10?!'

'Yes...we're a war-torn world which is why cultivators are trained as soldiers.' said Itachi. 'In war, to keep a squad at bay, this technique is indispensable.' she said, demonstrating the technique in a lethal spray form with a fan-shaped range, and striking at 30 meters, even. 'Have fun, Dongling. I'll cook the meals today.' said Itachi cheerfully.

'Princeeeeess!' Dongling wailed at the tough job of mastery she was required to do.

'You can do about 30 when you're a 7th layer cultivator...reason I can is because of my method of gather to spend so I technically do not run out of energy.' her words made Dongling's jaws drop.

And Dongling is currently a 2nd-layer Cultivator. Yup, still in Genin status.

Cultivators increase their energy reserves by absorbing Ki in the air till they hit 'the wall' that required breaking through. Once their dantian grows through such training and say for example, stopped training due to money issues, they can then recover any spent ki simply by resting.

Itachi supposed these nine levels represent what she knew in life...Genin, Chuunin and Jounin. Three levels of rank each, while Spirit Master and Spirit King as Kage levels and Spirit Ancestor as someone like Madara.

She's a hard worker so Itachi has nothing to worry about with her student.

Around nighttime when they returned home, tired for the day...

'Uggghhh...I wonder if other warriors do this sort of training too, I feel all beat up~' Dongling moaned as it took effort to simply go home.

'They sure did and they did it starting at six years old...so we who are 13 and 12 are in no place to complain.' Itachi chuckled. 'I hope before summer starts, you are at least 4th layer in status.'

'Yes miss.'

'Truthfully you have Summoner Potential, but obtaining a spirit beast is tricky.'

'Yes, we have to defeat them to gain their respect.' Dongling recited her knowhow. 'Because of the double-benefits.'

'Yes. Both Summoner and Partner Beast will boost each other's cultivation, there's no way they'd serve those weaker than them.' said Itachi thoughtfully. 'I'd rather you be a 9th layer cultivator before we get you a Spirit Beast. Only then will you take the pill required to turn you into a Summoner.' she said. '9th Layer Cultivators turned Summoners would make you at least, 4-star Summoner in comparison as mother taught me.'

'Just that...' Dongling moped gloomily, disheartened at the equivalent after all that work.

'Yes, it's why Summoners are called 'cream of the crop'...' Itachi sighed. 'Summoners are greatly respected so. The strongest among all cultivators. Nobody will even DARE cross a Level 2 one. However, Summoners make a fatal mistake...they eschew martial arts in favor of making the beasts do all the work and neglect their body entirely, and rely on the reputation being a Summoner brings...so let's not make that mistake.' she tut-tutted. 'You must be a capable fighter in your own right, first.'

'Yes!'

Satisfied with that, they took a hot bath, and went to bed.

xxx

Next morning was this.

Breakfast Time...

'Princess Beiyue! We have a letter from his majesty!'

And it was about her schooling but first they'll have a teacher test her ability to defend herself first as no doubt, people still expect highly of her due to her mother's name, now that she's cured from poisoning! The Emperor would rather shelter her but not even he can do anything about it! The most he could do, was put her in Imperial College but even then her safety isn't guaranteed...she has to fight for herself. Politics was the main enemy here.

Itachi felt annoyed.

'Looks like I'll have to downplay what I have for now...'


	6. Incoming School Days

Incoming School Days

'...so much for keeping what we are secret...' Dongling sweatdropped as Itachi did a face-palm.

'Damn power-hungry world of ours...uncle is trapped in politics.' Itachi said wearily. 'Everyone thinks mother hung the sun and moon in the sky for her skills and abilities. So they expect the same of me and I just healed from poison but _not even halfway done with malnourishment yet_.' she deadpanned. 'What a pain in the ass.'

'So, uhm...' Dongling twiddled with her fingers nervously. 'According to the letter, royal uncle and a teacher will check you today and the day before the Lingyang Assessment Exams at dinnertime...'

'Yes...for now you keep cultivating. No physical activity just for today except we go to the market for some shopping. Guests usually equals food.'

'Yes miss.'

After breakfast, the two girls left together in disguise, shopping for food.

Itachi has great knowledge of Washoku and making seasonings by scratch due to how her clan works. For once, their ambitions were of use now. The Uchiha takes in ONLY what's classy as a display of heir wealth and prestige. They only ever buy the best in anything and make the best.

Well, its the only thing she knew how to cook that Kisame called her 'walking classy restaurant' and happily enjoyed their partnership as walking in high-end restaurants would tear a big hole in the wallet.

Classy things.

She never knew the cheap stuff other than sake and dango. And ingrained habits die hard!

But now...should be her chance to eat 'plebian food' perhaps? Nobody's here to deny her anymore!

Dongling looked at her miss.

She was disguised as some brown haired girl(Uchiha Izumi) through Itachi's powers while she went as a boy.

They bought a lot of groceries and thank goodness for Space Rings...but some of the stuff she bought is expensive(culinary herbs and spices)...they were tasty things that add more taste and aroma to food. But their usage is STILL under study but even then, buying them is a symbol of prestige. Using them on food is still a trial-and-error process...with disastrous results that people stick to what works and ignores what doesn't work.

...does she know how to use those difficult-but-classy goods? the stuff she wrote in the recipes for her only used typical pantry condiments...

xxx

She DOES know.

Is this what she has been doing? Studying these?

And the kitchens are so...so...fragrant!

After cooking all else which are then chucked into space rings to preserve their freshness...

'M-miss...' Dongling stammered, her knees shaking from the wonderful aroma of deliciousness.

'Fragrant, right? If used right, this fragrance will come with the savoriness it brings with it.' Itachi taught her as she made sauces. Sauces made out of spices and other things. Some just for fragrance and savoriness, others are both spiciness and savoriness. 'Spices bring health benefits too, if mastered right, so I'll have to update our cookbook since you'll be making these sometimes.'

'Yes miss!'

Dongling's eager to study, wanting to be a maid with prestige for her miss. She could cultivate and now, study spices! She'll be a high-class maid for sure!

All those years of suffering are finally rewarded by the late princess, her miss' departed mother.

Those who stay loyal and good are rewarded. Criminals and traitors are punished.

That's how this world works.

Such is reality.

She was once a maid who suffered extreme poverty and all abuse and castigation heaped upon her and her miss. And due to no money, Dongling had to make a living by selling Embroidery for 20 copper each piece and keep it a secret from all those nasty Xiao Servants.

From the rags they once wear, she now owns good clothes, paid very well by her lady(1 gold a month, really?) and gets to eat tasty things and more education. No maid will ever have these as most masters treats their servants as just tools of convenience!

Dongling felt she'll be a legend in time to come as history's first-class maid.

And so...

By the time they are all done with everything, they cleaned up, rested an hour before taking a bath. So they began heating up water to comfortable levels while cleaning up.

Boiling water for a bath has never gotten so easy, thanks to Fire Crystals.

Then when they checked to see their water boiling after cleaning, they took the crystals out and rested for an hour while letting it cool using the coldness of spring air.

xxx

Nighttime came and just in time too.

'Welcome.' Dongling greeted, her hair down being still damp from bath. She let the Emperor in, along with a longhaired old man in white, and some young people. Maybe it was good that they cooked...

As for them, they noticed that from the normal person she once was, she was now a Stage 2 Cultivator.

Now, what about Huang Beiyue herself?

She admitted what she had, and tests confirmed it. For a daughter of someone of Princess Royal's caliber, she was born with such misfortune, cannot cultivate but at least, working to recover her body and doing body training so she's not _literally_ helpless. But her own body was denied to her even then.

They could see that by looking at her back in the banquet. She was halfway there in recovery.

By the gardens is a large rectangular table outside with embroidered Linen. Lots of diningware were on it but no food...for now. Itachi was there, wearing a short-skirted sleeveless kimono, black arm long tekko gloves, and a pair of shorts, with leg warmers held in place by criss-cross straps. Her feet were strangely in white wrappings(tabi socks) and what are those on her feet?(ankle strapped zori sandals). Her hair is up in a ponytail braid. By her outfit, she was still very skinny when her thin arms and legs were exposed.

'Beiyue!' the Emperor called out as they approached the table. 'Are you still recovering?'

'Yes.' said Itachi. 'But alas, politics cannot wait and the demons want an opportunity again.' the guests blanched at her words made eerie by her gaze and tone of speaking. 'So...shall we begin this farce? We even prepared dinner after this comedy show as they wanted.' she said in a girly way of showing her easy-goingness.

"She really thinks lowest of everyone does she?" were their collective thoughts.

To her, everyone who mocked and mistreated her unfairly when she never did anyone and anything wrong were monsters. To her, they're no different!

'Erm, I'm not like most people and I can vouch for everyone in this room, princess.' Cang He coughed awkwardly. 'Please believe in us.' he pleaded.

'Who'd be dumb enough to believe that?' Itachi smiled, speaking sardonically. 'Let's get this over with.'

Dongling looked at them as if they all committed atrocious crimes! She was giving them all a dark, dirty look, nevermind their statuses!

'...'

'A-ahem...we'll now begin!' the Emperor coughed. 'Yue, it's a light spar with the basics, OK?' he said feebly and worriedly. Beiyue nodded as she took on a stance. The Uchiha-Style Taijutsu she was comfortable with as Uchiha Itachi, but what she had as 'Itachi' is not compatible with 'Huang Beiyue's body. She thus had to re-train herself using techniques that better suited this body, and teaching Dongling moves suited to the girl after testing her. Taijutsu is comprised of the following as a rule: Support Movements(for follow-up attacks or combos or dodging), Punches, Kicks, Throws, and Locks.

The Uchiha Clan are known copycats. They Sharingan everything they see in the old days thus until Konoha was founded and changed their ways, they were known as a clan of thieves, in the sense of thieving techniques, and making it their own.

The Uchiha Library has a vast store of techniques stolen throughout the ages, be it ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu moves. Thus through study and trying things out, a clan member can take what works for them and what doesn't, making them all highly versatile fighters individually. But lately before the massacre, this practice was eschewed in favor of psychological warfare and not truly learning anything anymore and how low they have fallen, that it was easy for two people to kill em' all.

She demonstrated all that in her fight against Cang He, after augmenting herself with a little chakra inside her body instead of outside so that they can't feel it. Her body is frail, it can use the little boost.

Her performance amazed the small audience.

'...and that's from self-study?' Huwen Di, Feng Lianyi's aid gaped, dumbstruck. Huang Beiyue took to self-study due to being unable to trust anyone anymore.

'Clearly so...none of them are from any technique in Warrior School.' the Emperor shook in shock. His sons, and two other princes gaped...because Cang He actually has to fight back, in regards to ki-less fighting! Dare they say it, her abilities were incredible.

'First brother, I can see that former Anguo Gong and Gongzi were fools.' Third Prince lampshaded it. 'Sure she can't cultivate, but she still has Royal Aunt's genius in her blood with skills like _that_.' Prince Jing can only groan. Beiyue was too skilled a fighter it's a shame she was born with a defective Dantian. She could have been a genius herself and they all knew it.

For Dongling, this was her miss holding back. She can actually use Ki with no limits as she can never cultivate. But even then...this is too amazing for words...miss who never received training, got this good on her own? Then again, _she's_ teaching _her_ moves...miss is designing their techniques herself!

Miss started using tools from her Space Rings. Wires with stars she ordered, unleashing a devastating attack!

'Wha?!'

And effectively trapped Cang He to a tree.

"Sister...if you can only see Beiyue now!" the Emperor looked proud! Everyone else was slack-jawed.

'I never thought strings and throwing...whatevers can come in handy in such a manner...' the things Beiyue used were four-pointed things with a hole in the middle. She also effortlessly undid her technique to free Cang He.

'...Well, she's strong in her own right.' said Cang He. He had never heard of such technique...and these weapons, where'd she buy them? Nanyi never sold these weapons!

'...dinner, Dongling.' said Beiyue as Dongling took action, taking all the food her miss cooked out of the space rings, showing a beautiful spread with aesthetic plating! And all are ridiculously fragrant, their mouth watered.

'This smelled better than what our kitchen makes!' the Emperor swore, delighted.

'Mother had me focus on other things as being a real warrior is beyond me at the moment.' said Beiyue with a small smile. 'She made me study Housewifehood and other education...but I had to instruct Dongling as I can't hold a wok for long.'

It would have continued if not for Princess Royal's death and Beiyue's poisoning in Xue's hands.

Dongling handed out dining ware and they picked whatever they liked in amounts they'd like. The drink was yellow-orange-something.

And upon first bite or sip, they were struck by deliciousness and a strange vigor filled their bodies. Their appetites surged and strangely got stronger the bigger their appetites were?!

'Miss, this is too good!' Dongling moaned in delight. 'Will you be teaching me more?'

'When some of our processed condiments finally matured Dongling.' Itachi smiled. 'We ran out on our small samples since _they're experimental to begin with_ and it thankfully turned out to be a hit. This is wonderful!' the men choked. They're eating food made with experimental condiments?! And it turned out good?

'E-er Yue'er, what's in the condiments?' Prince Xiaoyao asked nervously. Delicious the food may be, but experimental got him nervous...

'Sugar, Rice Wine, Soybeans, Salt and other things...mixing and matching them...' Beiyue trailed off in a thinking pose. Just normal ingredients all along! 'Then there's spices. Mother made me master them in hopes I would since she was kind of lost.' she's a spice master when even royal chefs had trouble?!

'She even used medicinal herbs usually used in Pharmacy I never dreamed its possible to make them make food taste good...' said Dongling. 'Just the cheap ones that never went past 20 gold though.'

'Oh...'

'Well, clear the table, there's dessert next.' Dongling obeyed, using her ring in her left hand, and used the right hand ring to bring out desserts.

Dessert, was an assortment of cakes and pastries Itachi once saw in bakeries in her old world, and studied how to make them...the problem was making icing from scratch...

The men were too full to eat dessert, and opted for take-out in their space rings instead. Good for tea time during work break, they look too good to eat!

Just that, upon leaving Itachi's Mansion, they have a lot to think about.

She was actually capable if she put her mind to it!

xxx

'Father,' said Zhanye as later into the night, he came back with a few papers. 'Regarding Beiyue's weapons, she herself did not purchase them. It was a different girl by the name of Jun Wuxie who has them custom-made and ordered, paying two thousand gold for these designs. The smiths were baffled as they have no idea how to _even_ put to use what she ordered, thinking it's a waste of good steel. But when we had Jun Wuxie investigated, no such person existed. Beiyue or Dongling clearly disguised herself to get these weapons made.' he sighed, putting the papers on his father's desk. 'She would never trust an outsider with these designs to run errand girl for her.'

The designs were very specific and detailed. Size, sharpness, how it should weigh...it's so...detailed, the Emperor thought as he looked at each design.

'...I can't imagine how to use these things either...yet she captured the Principal with these and strings.' said Zhanye. 'Metal strings.' he deadpanned. 'That had to take skill and control. I'm not even sure I'll succeed if I tried it.'

'Now now, you won't know until you try.' his father chuckled fondly. 'You and Beiyue are the two geniuses of our Royal Family, her Dantian issues notwithstanding. Both of you shine in different fields, with both of you being the sun and moon...with Yue'er being that very moon while you shine brightly with your flame and cultivation. You are both prodigious in your abilities and I hope she can support you one day once you earn her trust. Power, isn't everything.' he said. 'Support can be done in many ways, but how the world changed, when warriors gained the power of Ki.' he sighed. 'How of the...cursed?'

'Upon analysis of their blood, they are all poisoned with the same poison inflicted on Beiyue by that wench, Xue.' Zhanye growled. 'Karma has come to bite back. If this was really royal aunt's curse, serve the bitch and her cohorts right.' his father nodded. 'Prince Xiaoyao understandably, refuses to refine cure. And the Anguo Gong Clan too, has the same poison...and Beiyue finally said why she believes, they were cursed. I believe you need to talk to Xue-yifei.'

'To Fu'er?'

'Yes. Beiyue had no idea royal aunt engaged her to Xue Che and there was...a _repudiation party_ in the Xiao Estate that night.' Zhanye scowled. 'Given how Beiyue was treated over the years, humiliating her was probably planned as well for fun. Hence former Gong and Gongzi got cursed as well as the retinue who went with them.'

'Is that right...I'll speak with Fu'er indeed about the matter.' the Emperor stood up. 'Good work, Zhanye. Earning her trust and belief in people again is a long road ahead.'

'Yes...'

xxx

'Alright, they now have some hint about my ability and that's just the bare bones.' said Itachi as she and Dongling had some dessert. 'My ability to use Ki must remain secret.'

'Yes...' Dongling nodded.

'How far are you now?'

'It's going as scheduled, miss!' Dongling perked up. 'I'll reach 4th Layer soon!'

'Good to know. Resume Mastery of the body skills I taught you. People sometimes pay too much time to Warrior and Sword Arts, forgetting that their true best friend in battle, are their own bodies.' said Itachi after taking the last mouthful of cake. 'If you ran out of ki to use after hurling special attacks, you're a sitting duck. That is the most important lesson of all. We'll work harder till Exams day.'

'Yes!'

'Now then...I have other stuff to do as well.'

xxx

Weeks later, the Admissions Exam...

After every Spring, these exams are held, the school will be open for the sake of these exams. Freshmen who pass the exams can freely go to the College they like, and Senior Years who'll take the exam will have their abilities and knowledge tested...which will determine if they'll go up a year or be held back, the latter of which, is embarrassing. Itachi purchased her own carriage and horse.

Upon arrival at school, she got off the carriage, and made her way to the exams area.

She has to apply for Imperial College.

There are ten courses, and students can choose four. There's Koto, Go(board game), Calligraphy, Painting, Arithmetic, Military Strategy, Ritual Rites, Mount Archery, History, and Medicine.

Mm...Itachi knows what to pick! She'll pick History, Mount Archery, Painting and Medicine. She signed up for these before taking said exams.

Maybe she can make Manhua in this world for fun.

After that, all examinees sit and wait until the examiner checks their exams and announces their score after writing all answers on the board...and announcing their scores publicly!

Competition was lit up among students, Itachi just looked bored.

Why?

'Princess Huang Beiyue: 100!'

'WHAAAAAAT?!'


End file.
